True Love Started from a Distance
by iDatenshi
Summary: Gaara and Sakura fall in love and Naruto will do absolutely anything to get them to leave each other. Reviews are very welcome and very wanted.
1. What the?

Sakura watched as yet again Naruto was thrown to the ground by Sasuke. She sighed and slumped over. _Why do I even hang out with these guys? I have better things to do! Sasuke used to be such a nice bonus to being on this team. Now I think better of it…he's so cold hearted. _"Kakashi-san? May I go? I'm finished all my training for the day."

Kakashi looked up from his book. "I think that would be a good idea Sakura. These two are going to be here for a while." Kakashi went back to his book.

"Thank-you, Kakashi-san." Sakura stood up to leave and heard a protest from a shocked blonde trapped to the trunk of a tree with Sasuke's kunai.

"Aw! Sakura why are you leaving? I'm just about to kick Sasuke's butt!" Naruto struggled to get the kunai out of his shirt.

"I can see that Naruto." Sakura said with a smile. "Sorry I can't stay and watch but I have other things that need to be done." Sakura turned away from Naruto and Sasuke and walked out of the park.

Naruto stopped struggling for a minute. "Why is she leaving? She always stays to watch! Sasuke what did you do this time?"

The just-as-shocked-as-Naruto Sasuke turned to Naruto. "I didn't _do _anything! Maybe it was you!" Sasuke threw more kunai at Naruto. "Maybe it was Kakashi with his perverted books!"

"Kakashi you perv! What did you do to Sakura? I swear when I get off this tree I'm gonna…" Naruto was quieted with a wave from Kakashi.

"_I _didn't do anything either. Maybe Sakura is just bored of watching you two fight all the time."

"Huh…" Sasuke and Naruto said in unison.

Gaara walked down the Hidden Leaf Village's main street. He looked from shop to shop and stopped in front of a shop with a pink haired girl talking to a blonde at the counter.

"You're giving up so easily after so many years? Why this sudden change in heart Sakura?" Ino looked at Sakura like she was nuts.

"I finally figured out that Sasuke just isn't the person that I'd best be suited for…he's all yours Ino." Sakura turned from Ino and walked to the door when she heard her.

"Sakura…I hope this has something to do with Sasuke and not you. I really miss us being best friends. I really do." Ino walked to the back of the shop.

Sakura looked up to find that Gaara of the sand village was staring at her.

_Why do I feel like this? I have never had this feeling in my entire life. This sense of belonging. This sense of unconditional love. If that is what love feels like. _Too late did Gaara realize he was staring at her. She had noticed. _Uh-oh._

Sakura walked over to Gaara as he quickly hid his emotions behind a mask. "Your name's Gaara right? I'm…" Sakura's hand that was held out for a handshake was surprisingly taken.

"Sakura." Gaara had taken her hand and shook it. He looked down and couldn't believe what he had just done. _What is wrong with me?_ "You are on Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto's team. We have met before." Gaara dropped her hand and started to walk away before he did anything else unusual.

"Yes, I am." Sakura followed Gaara's retreating form. "Why do you even know that? You shouldn't care enough to remember what team a stupid girl is on." Gaara stopped and turned around to face Sakura.

"You are not stupid. You are smarter than most. Don't bring yourself down like that." Again Gaara's mind had a panic attack.

"But why do _you_ care? Your demon inside of you has become second nature to your mind and soul. Why do you care?" Sakura stood in front of the red headed boy feeling awkward.

"I don't know why I care. I just do." Gaara got his head together and thought for a moment. "Come. Walk with me."

Sakura followed Gaara to the same park where Sasuke and Naruto were training. Gaara sat down under a big shady tree and looked at the ground next to him. "Sit." Sakura felt herself doing exactly what he told her to while little alarm bells rang in her head, telling her that something was up. "I don't know why I care about you at all. However, I do know that I care about you more than I can understand. It's almost unbearable to have such a feeling of want. Do you know what I am saying Sakura?" Gaara looked at her emerald green eyes.

"I do. I don't know why I do yet…I do." The alarm bells fell quiet as Sakura wandered her mind and slowly coming to an understanding. _I'm in love with Gaara. How is that possible? I've only ever seen him when he's fighting or from a distance. What is wrong with me? First Sasuke now Gaara? Oi…_ Sakura noticed that during her mind wandering she had shifted closer to him. _What am I doing? This guy would kill absolutely anybody!_ Sakura noticed that his sand was around the both of them instead of repelling her. Gaara stood up then pulled Sakura to her feet. She continued to look around at the sand. Gaara reached down and gently pulled Sakura's face around so that he was looking into her eyes and not hair. Sakura's heart began to beat triple time as Gaara leaned in close and pressed his mouth gently to hers. Sakura's eyes closed and she wrapped her arms around his neck. _This should feel wrong yet…it feels so right. What am I going to do? Better question. What is he going to do to me?_ They held each other for what seemed like forever. Gaara pulled his head back and looked at Sakura.

"I realize what this feeling of want is. It is love. Something I have never experienced before and do not want to let go of." Sakura's heart had wound down during the kiss but now started to beat fast again. "Sakura, I love you. Don't ever leave me. Don't ever hurt me." Gaara looked at her with pleading eyes. "Please."

Sakura looked into his dark mossy green eyes. " I will never leave you. I will never hurt you. Gaara, I love you as much as you love me. Just, never hurt me or leave me." Gaara leaned his face in close to hers again.

"I could never hurt or leave you." Gaara leaned his face the rest of the way to Sakura's and they fell into a deep kiss. Faintly Sakura could here someone calling her name.

"Sakura!" Naruto waved his hands in the air trying to get her attention. _Why's she with Gaara of the sand village and why are they standing so close to each other?_ Naruto's eyes widened as he saw Gaara lean in and kiss Sakura. "Sakura!" Sasuke finally looked up at Naruto to tell him to shut up and saw what he did. A smirk crossed his mouth but under the mask Sasuke was kicking himself. _I did it! I know I did! Now I have no chance after the third sharingan!_ Kakashi looked up from his book and he too noticed Sakura and Gaara. _Finally she will stop obsessing over Sasuke! Thank God! _Naruto turned around to see Sasuke smirking and Kakashi turning back to his book. "What is wrong with you two? Sakura is kissing the psycho from the sand village! Argh!" Naruto quickly shut up as kunai was thrown at him.

"Quiet Naruto! This is her decision! Personally I'm happy she won't be following me around anymore." Sasuke continued what he was doing as Naruto pouted.


	2. Goodnight Moonlight

Sakura pulled away from Gaara's embrace. He looked down at her. "What is wrong?" Sakura looked out across the park.

"I want to go for a walk. You want to come with me?" Gaara shrugged and took her hand in his and began to walk towards the village's main street.

Naruto watched as Sakura and Gaara left the park from his hiding spot. He began to pout as he got out the tree. _Why'd she have to go with the scary guy?_ A hand grabbed Naruto's shoulder as his foot hit the ground.

"Naruto, what are you doing?" Naruto turned around to see Sasuke and Kakashi standing behind him. "Are you spying on Sakura?"

"No! I was just sitting in the tree to get some peace!" Sasuke and Kakashi looked at Naruto suspiciously. "Fine! I was spying on Sakura! I had to do something! She's with the psycho!"

Temari stepped out of a shop just in time to see Gaara and Sakura disappear into another. _What is he doing? _

Sakura looked around at all the little sweets in the shop. _These look so good! _Sakura wiped her mouth. _I hope I'm not drooling._

"Sakura, do you want some pocky?" Sakura walked over to the counter that Gaara had wandered off to. She looked down at the assorted flavours.

"What kind do you like?" Gaara looked up from the counter.

"I like the strawberry." Sakura asked the lady behind the counter for a box of strawberry pocky.

"Where do you want to go next?" Sakura paid the lady and they left the shop. She noticed a grey haired man, a dark haired boy and another with blonde hair in the crowd. _What are they doing? They shouldn't be done training yet!_ Gaara saw what she was looking at.

"I know a place." Gaara pulled Sakura in front of him and pushed on the small of her back, pushing her through the crowd. They got to the edge of the busy street and turned down a path leading to the park.

"You know they can find us really easy in the park, right?" Sakura threw a worried glance backwards and sure enough the trio was following them.

"We are going to lose them right now." They walked around a bend in the path and quickly turned down another that was just barely visible. Gaara picked up Sakura's hand and led her down the path where they had to duck under a thick tree branch. They continued on until they arrived at a small pond with willows pouring their branches into the water and ducks paddling around them. Sakura looked around at the marvellous site.

"How did you find this place?" Sakura dropped Gaara's hand and walked over to the water. "It's quite beautiful."

Gaara followed Sakura to the edge of the water and stood next to her. "I like to sit and think so I went to look for a place where I could do that and I ended up here. It's very peaceful and serene. It's also spectacular at sunset."

Sakura looked over the boy standing next to her. "You're not as cold blooded as they say you are."

Gaara thought about it for a moment. "I am cold blooded. I just have one thing that I do care about."

Temari started to gag where she was sitting in her tree. _That's disgusting! Gaara romantic? Ew!_ She watched as they walked over to a willow and sat underneath quietly waiting for the sun to set.

"I can't believe we lost them! This sucks!" Naruto was screaming while he walked on one of the park's many paths.

"Shut up Naruto! It was stupid to follow them anyway! Kakashi and his stupid perverted plans." Sasuke stuck his hands deeper into his pockets and started to walk in a different direction. "I'm going home. This was such a waste of time."

"You ought to go home too, Naruto. You need to rest for tomorrow." Kakashi walked in his own direction. _Do they really think I'm that perverted? I only read the books! Not write them! Geez, they think I'm bad they should see Guy. _

The sun was setting and Gaara pulled Sakura closer to him as she shivered from the cool breeze running through the trees. He didn't want to ever let go of her but he knew that she would have to go home eventually. The thought of her leaving his embrace was already leaving him with an unbelievable feeling of want and need. Gaara shifted his weight so that he could be comfortably close to Sakura. The sudden movement made Sakura look up.

"Is something wrong?" Gaara looked down into her emerald eyes. She looked up into his mossy green ones.

"No. It's nothing." She smiled up at him.

"Glad to hear it." Sakura put her head on Gaara's chest. She could hear his heart beat steadily. He kissed the top of her head as her eyes drifted closed and she fell asleep.

Temari sighed. _How long are they going to sit there for? _Temari watched as Gaara carefully took Sakura into his arms and picked her up off the ground. _Finally it's getting interesting._ Gaara walked back to the main path of the park. He walked silently to a house just off the main street of the village. His sand created a set of stairs leading up to a window on the second floor. He opened the window and crept in, Sakura still in his arms. Gaara set her down on her bed. He pulled of her shoes and pulled the covers over her. He left with everything the way it was before he came.

Gaara walked down the main street. "Temari I know you're there. Come out of hiding." Temari walked out of the shadows.

"What's with the girl?" Temari cocked her head to the side. Gaara turned to face his sister.

"You stay away from her Temari or I _will_ kill you. I have killed many others. You may be my sister but I will kill you just as easily as I killed them." Temari breathed in sharply. _He's not leading her on like I'd suspected. He truly cares for this girl. Gaara has never made a threat on my life before._ "That goes the same for Kankuro."

Sakura woke to warm sunlight streaming through her window. _How'd I get here?_ Sakura jumped out of bed and quickly changed into cargo pants and a t-shirt. _I have to find Gaara. But I can't be late for training. _Sakura sighed. _I guess I have to train then go fin him. _Another sigh escaped Sakura's lips. _Great. I have to go see Naruto. Oi…first thing in the morning and I'll have to hear him going on about Gaara. _Sakura opened her room door and headed down the stairs for a quick breakfast.

"Sorry I'm late Kakashi-san. My breakfast was longer than I'd expected." Sakura ran up to her team and mentor in a huff.

"That's alright Sakura. Unlike Naruto you're not usually late." Kakashi whipped out his book. "Speak of the devil here he comes."

"Sakura! I thought you weren't coming back after yesterday!" Naruto ran up to Sakura and gave her a hug. He sniffed. "Don't leave us Sakura!"

"Naruto get off her. Obviously you don't have a chance so give up." Sasuke walked out from behind a tree. _I'd best get this over with before I chicken out. _"Sakura, we need to talk."


	3. Sasuke's a JerkOff

Sakura followed Sasuke deeper into the park. This was an area where people rarely came because it was such a long walk. The two came to a bench and sat down. Sasuke sat down dangerously close to Sakura but because she was right against the armrest of it, she had nowhere to go. Sakura started to get an antsy feeling. _This is just a little too weird for my liking. _"Sasuke what is this about?"

Sasuke looked up from his feet. There was a bit of pink in his cheeks. He leaned in and kissed Sakura. Sakura tried to push him off but he was too heavy for her to move. Finally, he sat back. Sakura was too shocked to move. "I love you, Sakura."

Gaara walked deeper into the park hoping that he could find her. He couldn't stand himself when she wasn't around. He longed to have her slender form in his arms. He longed to feel her lips pressed against his. The wait was almost unbearable. "Temari, you can stop following me now. It is quite annoying. If you keep it up maybe I'll break both of your legs so that you can't."

"It always creeps me out when you do that." Temari stepped out of the shadows. "You know what? I think I will go home though. You're boring anyway." Temari turned on her heel and walked towards the edge of the park.

Sakura got her mind together and looked at Sasuke. "Why? Why did you do that?"

Sasuke got a smirk on his mouth. "Because I couldn't bare not to. I think you're beautiful, smart and funny. You have the perfect balance between personality and looks. I like kissing you. It feels good."

Sakura got up and stood in front of him. "I could have bared not to kiss you. I think that your balance between looks and personality is just way off. I don't love you Sasuke. I don't hate you but I definitely don't love you." Sasuke's smirk went off his face.

"Wasn't your little outing with Gaara just to get me to do this? Confess what I feel?" Sasuke's face had a cross of confusion and rejection placed upon it.

"No. It was legitimate. I truly do love Gaara. I just didn't know it before. I always thought it was you that made me have butterflies in my stomach but then I realized it was only when he was around." Sasuke had the look of hurt in his eyes. "I'm sorry but that is the cold hard truth."

Gaara could hear a familiar female voice from farther up the path. The voice made his heart beat triple time as he hurried towards it. He stopped when her words reached him. "We're going to pretend that never happened. You're going to get over me and I'm not going to tell Gaara that you kissed me or else he'll kill you and I really can't handle the death of my friend on my conscience." Gaara heard the sound of footsteps coming down the path and he quickly hid in the shadows. He watched as Sakura walked past his hiding spot and disappeared down the path. Gaara came out of the shadows and walked to the bench where the stunned Sasuke was still sitting. Sasuke looked up and almost had a heart attack.

As soon as Sakura had made it inside the door of her house she ran for the bathroom where she grabbed her toothbrush and proceeded to clean the taste of Sasuke out of her mouth.

Gaara crossed his arms and stared at Sasuke. Sasuke regained his composure and stared back like he wasn't scared. "What do you want?"

"Sakura may not want me to kill you but that doesn't mean I can't beat you senseless." Gaara's sand surrounded him then rushed towards Sasuke.

_Where is he?_ Sakura wandered around the park looking for Gaara. She walked towards where Naruto had been training and found that Naruto and Kakashi were both still there. "Have you two seen Gaara?" Naruto's eyes widened when he looked at Sakura. "What?"

Sakura heard a cough behind her and turned around to see Sasuke limping up to his teammates. "A little help here?" The three rushed over to help him just as his leg gave out completely.

"What happened? Did you decide to run yourself into a bunch of trees then roll down a hill covered in cacti?" Naruto and Kakashi started to laugh.

"That's not funny guys. He's seriously hurt. You have to get him to a medic-nin right away." Naruto looked at Sakura.

"What do you mean "you"? What are you doing?" Sakura started to run up a pathway.

"I'm going to go find the one who did this."

Gaara sat on the bench that minutes before Sasuke had been sitting on. He heard heavy breathing and running footsteps approaching. Around the corner came Sakura. She stopped when she saw him on the bench. "Why'd you do that?"

"I did it to protect you. I don't want anyone else to have you." Gaara stood and walked over to where Sakura stood out of breathe.

"So if Naruto hugs me you're going to beat him too? What if my cousin hugged me? Would you beat him too?"

"No. Sasuke deserved it. He kissed you without your permission. That is not all right. He knew that you are with me yet did it anyway."

"You kissed me without permission. Why's that all right?"

"Because you were not with another man." Gaara's eyes showed a look of hurt through them even though he was hiding behind a mask. Sakura started to feel bad.

"Gaara I love you but you can't beat on people. Please, don't do that again." Sakura's eyes were pleading.

"I won't do it again." Gaara pulled Sakura into his arms and kissed her forehead. Sakura looked up into his eyes. "I love you."

"I love you too." Gaara leaned in and took "kiss and make up" quite literal.

Sakura walked into Sasuke's hospital room with Gaara trailing behind her. Sasuke's eyes showed an emotion few see from him. Gaara almost started laughing as he saw Sasuke's fear. Sakura looked behind her with a look that startled Gaara. He got a guilty look on his face. "Sorry."

Sasuke moved his leg slightly and his face showed another emotion few see from him…pain. "What do you guys want?"

"We came to see how you're doing." Sakura walked over to a chair beside the bed. "How bad is it?"

"My knee's a little messed. It'll be fine but why you care I really don't know." Sasuke looked away from her.

"Don't be like that. You had no right to do it so you can butt out. Jeez, grow up would you?" Gaara looked down at Sasuke. _Can't walk or run yet still runs his mouth off. _

Sasuke went to say something back but Sakura beat him to it. "Quiet you two." Sakura let out a sigh. "I care because you're my friend and teammate. What do you expect?"

"Nothing from you." Even though Sasuke had talked like this to Sakura for years it stung his throat to do it now.

"Hey! If you don't start talking to her nicer I swear that knee won't heal this next time that I beat you!" Gaara went and stood behind Sakura.

"Gaara, don't. I guess if he wants to be this way then I'll let him but when he needs a friend I hope he doesn't come to me because I won't be there for him." Sakura frowned and stood up. "Goodbye Sasuke." She walked out the door and didn't look back.

"Don't bother her. You do and I'll put you right back in this hospital bed again." Gaara turned and followed Sakura out the door.

Sakura sat down outside of Sasuke's room. She put her head in her hands and started to cry. Gaara walked out of Sasuke's room to find her there. "Come on. Let's go." Gaara put one arm around her back and the other under her knees. Sakura turned and buried her face in his chest. "I'll take you to the sanctuary."


	4. Till Death Do We Part

Sakura and Gaara sat under the willow tree together. Neither said a word but were happy to be in each other's presence. Sakura's eyes were still fresh from crying and staring steadily at the willow tree across the pond. Gaara sat with his arm around Sakura's shoulders and staring at the willow tree too. The sun set behind the tree leaving a black hole on the sky.

"Aren't you two just adorable?" Temari and Kankuro stepped out of the shadows behind Sakura and Gaara. Gaara stood and faced them with a cool smoothness. Sakura stood up after him with as much of the cool smoothness that Gaara had had as she could. She took his hand but Gaara's face did not change expressions and he didn't look at her but he took her hand back and gave it a squeeze.

"What's your problem Temari? Do you enjoy pain?" Gaara's voice was cold and heartless. Chills were running down Sakura's back as he spoke. "What about you Kankuro? Did you come to see if the circus was in town?" Both of Gaara's siblings stumbled back.

"N-No. T-Temari told m-me that sh-she ha-had f-f-found something in-interesting h-h-here." Kankuro barely got all the words out of his mouth. Gaara had never turned on him before and Kankuro was scared. _Man, he doesn't even use this voice when he talked to the people that he killed._ Kankuro took another step back as Temari took on forward. "I'm sorry Gaara. I'll go now."

"No. You won't." Temari took another step forward. "There's been enough of this. No more will this family be embarrassed by you Gaara. It ends now." Temari pulled a face of sternness onto her face.

"You dare go against me?" Temari nodded. Gaara took his eyes off of her for the first time. "Sakura, I want you to go home. I don't want you to get hurt." Gaara's cold eyes turned warm for a second but went cold again.

"No. I don't want to leave you. I want to help." Sakura felt the sand starting to repel her away from Gaara.

"No. Kankuro, take her home and when she's safe don't come back. Make sure she stays home." Gaara's attention turned back to Temari. Kankuro ran over to Sakura and started to pull her away. Temari suddenly pulled out kunai and threw them at Sakura. Gaara's sand whipped out and blocked them but one made it past and went into Sakura's left thigh. A cry of pain escaped her lips. She pulled out the kunai as Gaara's sand hurtled towards Temari. "Carry her if you have to Kankuro! Just get her out of here!" Kankuro picked up Sakura like Gaara had done when carrying Sakura to their now chaotic sanctuary. Sakura reached down and pulled the kunai out of her flesh as Kankuro ran on the path that Gaara and Sakura had walked on.

"Take me back. I can fight." Sakura dropped the kunai but proceeded to hit to Kankuro. Tears streaked her face but Kankuro didn't put her down.

"No. He told me to do something. I'm going to do it." Kankuro glanced down at the crying Sakura. "I'm sorry but even though you're not scared of him…I am." They sped out of the park as Sasuke, Naruto and Kakashi was coming in. The world seemed to slow for Sasuke and Naruto as they saw Sakura's thigh steadily dripping blood. Kakashi never noticed since his face was buried so far into his book. Naruto and Sasuke looked at each other then down at the trail of blood.

"Follow it." They both said it in unison and ran down the path leaving Kakashi there. He looked up but merely shrugged and went back to his book.

Temari was bleeding badly from her right leg and arm. "Come on. Is that all you've got?" Temari smirked.

"You are not in the place to be taunting, Temari." Gaara's sand lashed out and her full in the face. A gash running from her forehead to her left cheek opened and blood ran down her face. Both fighters heard a snap of twigs and the rustle of grass as Naruto and Sasuke partly stumbled into the clearing.

"What are you guys doing? You're supposed to be family and family doesn't do this!" Naruto was shocked to see the two siblings going at it to kill. Neither sibling stopped to acknowledge what had just been said.

"Naruto, we should help Gaara. Temari would have been the one to hurt Sakura, not Gaara. He would never do that." Sasuke pulled out kunai and ran to stand beside Gaara, Naruto close in his heels.

"I'm fine now! Let me go help him!" Sakura had on a fresh pair of pants. Her left thigh a bit bulky from the padding covering the gash. "Come on, Kankuro! I can help!"

"No! He said that he didn't want you to get hurt and Temari already managed to get you once! If you go he'll kill me!" Kankuro threw his hands into the air. "Besides, he doesn't need help. He's always been solo in his fights. Plus Temari is no match for him.

"I don't care! I want to go help him!" Sakura screamed at Kankuro. Her face was red. Kankuro just sighed and looked around the room.

Temari's actions were getting slower as the battle went on. She had several gashes on each limb and all deep enough that the blood was pouring out in a steady stream. _I have to keep fighting no matter how bad it gets. They'll get tired eventually. When that happens then I will take the opportunity. _

"Give up Temari. You are out numbered and you have lost a lot of blood. Stop now and you can live another day. We could take you to a medic-nin and get you all fixed up." Temari just snickered and threw a few kunai, which missed entirely. "I don't really want to kill you but, if it comes down to it…I will." Temari snickered again and threw more kunai. Her giant fan was laying behind Gaara, Naruto and Sasuke and ripped to shreds.

"Just kill me and get it over with. I could never live in the world like a normal person. They wouldn't accept me. I would never want to be around you either. You make me sick. You made dad sick and you probably would have made mom sick too." Gaara's sand whipped out and struck Temari right through the heart. Her face contorted between shock, horror and pain. She fell to the ground like that and did not move. Sasuke and Naruto straightened up.

"I'll go and get Kakashi. He'll know what to do. Naruto, stay here with the body. Make sure she's really dead. Gaara, you should go check on Sakura." Sasuke turned to walk away.

"Thank-you for coming. Normally I would not have been able to kill her. She's part of the only family or friends that I've really ever known." Sasuke turned around. "Don't get me wrong. I didn't want to kill her but, she was also right. The world would never have accepted her and neither would I." He didn't mention that the last comment had set him off.

"What's done is done. Nothing we can do about it now." Gaara nodded and ran off in the direction of Sakura's home as Naruto headed over to where Temari's body lay and Sasuke went to find Kakashi.


	5. Together, Forever

Gaara and Sakura sat beneath the willow tree where only days before Gaara had killed Temari. Gaara had his back against the tree and Sakura sat with her back against his chest between his legs.

"Do you really have to go?" Sakura's head rested against Gaara's shoulder.

"Unfortunately…yes. I really wish that I could stay but I have to finish and become Kazekage. When I finish, whether I'm Kazekage or not, I'll come back for you. You'll wait for me, won't you?" Gaara looked down at Sakura. She shuffled around onto her knees and looked into his face, a bit of a hurt look on her face.

"Of course I will! Gaara! I love you to much to just leave you!" Gaara smiled and picked up her hands.

"Good." Gaara pulled her hands to around behind his back making her face closer to his. "I love you Sakura. Just remember to wait for me. Continue your training. Just…wait for me."

"I will." Gaara brought his face to Sakura's and as their lips touched Gaara's name was called. He kissed her hard then let go of her and stood.

"Goodbye for now Sakura." He turned and walked towards Sasuke who smiled and walked with him out of the clearing.

10 years later…

Gaara walked down the main street of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. He turned onto another street and came to a familiar house. There were baskets of flowers hanging above the steps. He walked to the door and knocked three times. A woman with long blonde hair opened the door and laughed at something someone had just said inside the house. She sobered up as soon as he saw Gaara. "I was starting to think you weren't going to show."

"I thought I might not be able to either. Being Kazekage has so many responsibilities." Gaara gave off an actual cheerful smile. "How are you, Ino."

"Quite good. She's upstairs right now but if you'd like to wait in the sitting room with Sasuke, I could go get her for you." Ino smile and opened the door wider.

"That would be great." Gaara walked in and follow Ino to the sitting room. There was a dark haired young man, a blonde and a dark haired woman sitting in there laughing but as soon as they saw Gaara they all stopped but kept their happy demeanour. "Hello."

"Hello. We weren't sure you were going to come after that last letter." Sasuke smiled and got up. "Welcome back, Gaara." The two men gave each other a close friends hug as Ino left the room.

"Congratulations in the marriages to all four of you." Gaara looked around the room at Sasuke, Naruto and Hinata. Naruto smiled and got up pulling Hinata to her feet at the same time.

"Welcome back and thank-you." Naruto gave Gaara a hug and introduced Hinata to Gaara. They shook hands and all four of them sat down. "How's being Kazekage?"

"I like it. I'm a lot different after all these years. That whole deal with Temari really set my course for a better life. Kankuro and I actually act like brothers do. Kankuro is engaged and set to be married next month. I'm just hoping that my wishes for marriage come true too." Ino walked into the room.

"She'll be down in just a minute." Ino walked over to Sasuke and sat down next to him. They smiled at each other and Sasuke kissed his wife's cheek. They heard the padding of bare feet on the stairs.

"Ino how'd you manage to get my measurements and why did you make me a dress anyway? I don't see the poi…" Sakura's voice caught as she saw Gaara. "…nt."

"Hello, Sakura." Sakura's eyes widened and a huge grin plastered itself to her face. Gaara got up and opened his arms to her. She rushed over and hugged him.

"You came back! I was starting to have doubts!" Sakura looked up at Gaara. He smiled and pulled away. Her smiled faltered a bit. "What's wrong?" Gaara's smile did not falter at all as he got down on one knee and pulled a small box out of his pocket. Sakura gasped as he opened it to reveal a gold ring with a fare-sized diamond on it.

"Haruno Sakura, will you marry me?" Gaara smiled up at her. She beamed back at him.

"Of course!" Sakura laughed as Gaara slid the ring onto her finger. He stood up and pulled her into his arms. The feeling of her slender figure felt so familiar and the thought of him being able to hold it any time he wanted made his beat wildly. He put his forehead to hers.

"Now we can be together, forever." He kissed her at the world seemed to melt away. The words rang through both of their heads. _Together, forever._


End file.
